Frederic Bourboulon Movies

A detective tracking a serial killer who preys on young women finds his investigation complicated by a glamorous Hollywood starlet and a ruthless crime kingpin in director Bertrand Tavernier's adaptation of the James Lee Burke novel In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead. Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski, and Tommy Lee Jones collaborate on the screenplay for the film, which stars Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ned Beatty, and Tom Sizemore. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Filmmaker Jean-Henri Meunier pays homage to the people of his rural hometown in this witty documentary. Meunier left Paris to move to the small country village of Najac in 1995, and took to interviewing the townspeople with his video camera, allowing the many unusual characters to speak for themselves. As Najac faces an uncertain future after French authorities decide to open a nuclear waste disposal site in the town, Meunier offers his recorded memories of his neighbors, including a winemaker who still stomps grapes with his feet, a midwife for cows, a train conductor who demonstrates the franc will stand the weight of a locomotive with greater resilience than the Euro, and a cook who can make a remarkably large omelet upon demand. While drawing gentle humor from his subjects, Meunier's film makes clear he admires the resourcefulness of the people of Najac while expressing anxieties for their future in a changing world. Ici Najac a vous la Terre (aka Najac Calling Over To You, Earth) received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

French filmmaker Pierre Jolivet directs the offbeat comedy Filles Uniques (Sole Sisters). Upper-class attorney Carole (Sandrine Kiberlain) meets working-class Tina (Sylvie Testud), who has been arrested twice for shoplifting expensive shoes. The two women start up an unlikely friendship after Tina proves herself particularly valuable to a certain case. Carole then takes her on board for another case involving corrupt casino player Mermot (Francois Berleand) and local cop (Roschdy Zem). Filmed on-location in Paris and Annecy, Sole Sisters was screened at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

A throwback detective attempts to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of a young Parisian student named Rachel in this noirish mystery from director Guillaume Nicloux. His life a smoky and meaningless haze of women and seedy investigations, private eye François Maneri (Thierry Lhermitte) agrees to take the case of a missing student in an investigation that grows increasingly complex. First speaking to Rachel's family and friends, François soon discovers a dark and complicated past that few of those who were close to Rachel knew about. As François moves ever closer to discovering the truth behind Rachel's disappearance, facts become blurred and the truth a complex maze of sordid details that threatens to envelop the detective in the same darkness that swallowed Rachel. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

During the Nazi occupation of France during World War II, the nation's movie studios continued to operate; some filmmakers and technicians simply went along with what their new leaders demanded in hopes keeping themselves and their families safe, while others sought to subvert the messages of their captors through their work. Safe Conduct, directed by Bertrand Tavernier, is a fact-based period drama which examines two men working for a Parisian film company during 1942 and 1943, as well as their friends, family, and loved ones. Jean Devaivre (played by Jacques Gamblin) is an assistant director for Continental Pictures, a studio which has recently been taken over by the Germans and is headed by Dr. Greven (Christian Berkel), a self-styled aficionado of French filmmaking. With a wife (Marie Desgranges) and a newborn son to support, Devaivre feels he has little choice but to continue with his work, though as he rises from assisting to becoming a full fledged director thanks to the efforts of Maurice Tourneur (Philippe Morier-Genoud), he struggles to work his own views into his pictures as much as he can. Screenwriter Jean Aurenche (Denis Podalydes), a man who lives for wine, women and song (not necessarily in that order), refuses to work for Greven, and as he bounces between his many lovers - actress Suzanne Raymond (Charlotte Kady), no-nonsense streetwalker Olga (Marie Gillain), and soft-hearted Reine (Maria Pitarresi), a struggles to find a way to make a living with his words. Both Devaivre and Aurenche were real-life figures in the French film industry during the occupation, as were many of Safe Conduct's supporting characters; the real life Aurenche went on to write the screenplay for Bertrand Travernier's first feature film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This anthology feature is comprised of 12 short stories, written by students between the ages of 16 and 26, which were filmed for broadcast on French television by a team of well-known directors. Each of the stories takes a different look at the problems of racism in contemporary society; "Les Vigneron Francais," for example, concerns Samir (Roschdy Zem), an Arabic man working as a telephone salesman for a French wine company who is compelled to use a French name and conceal his true identity because his boss believes Arabs generally know little about wine. In "Cyrano," a girl from an upper-class family makes a surprising discovery about her secret admirer. "Poitiers, Voiture 11" follows a short-tempered man (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) who manages to say exactly the wrong things as he finds himself crowded into a railroad compartment with a large family from Africa. "Maman, Regarde!" follows a little boy who, while shopping with his mother, loudly points out the presence of a black customer in the store. A boy from Africa wonders what challenges he'll have to face as he travels to France for the first time in "Lettre a Abou." And the title segment finds an elderly immigrant and his grandson receiving rude treatment in a public place; the boy is certain they should demand an apology, while the older man is reluctant to make waves. After finding an appreciative audience on French television, the Pas D'Histoires! shorts were collected into a feature that earned a theatrical release in England as well as France. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

An honest man finds himself involved in an insurance fraud scheme -- but with the best of intentions -- in this French comedy. Ivan (Vincent Lindon) runs a woodworking shop founded by his grandfather. With a handful of employees and a devoted clientele, his business is doing well and Ivan takes genuine pride in its success. One day, Ivan and his employees return from lunch to discover their building is burning down. While Ivan is not happy, he's secure in the knowledge that his insurance will pay his damages and keep him afloat. Or at least that's what he thinks: it turns out that Maxime (Francois Berleand), Ivan's insurance agent, worked out a scheme where he could file policies with an insurance company retroactively and pocket the rest of the premiums. However, Maxime's partner in this scheme has taken a powder, so he comes up with an idea: Maxime, Ivan, and Sami (Roschdy Zem), who lives with Ivan's former wife, will break into the insurance company's office, tap into their computer system, and enter the policy that Ivan thought would be there all along. If this plan succeeds, Ivan can stay in business (good news for Ivan) and continue to pay alimony and child support (good news for Sami), while Maxime can avoid going to jail (good news for Maxime). If they fail, of course, they'll all go to jail, which is bad news for everyone. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Hoping to provide an insider's view of the horrible conditions endured by residents (most of them North African immigrants) of Paris' notorious suburban housing projects, noted filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier and his son and co-director Niles Tavernier lived in one of them for several months. The inspiration for their action came from the Paris housing minister who -- in response to several French filmmakers' call for civil disobedience after the French government passed the controversial immigration sanction, the Debre Act in 1997 -- suggested that Tavernier move into a project and to experience life on the "other side of the tracks" for himself. The director and his son, who did most of the filming, chose the neighborhood known as Grand Pechers ("The Big Peach Trees) located in Montreuil outside of central Paris. It took the two helmers quite a while to earn the trust of the locals, but eventually they succeeded. Interviewing educators, residents and officials, including cops, the Taverniers paint an unforgettable portrait of poverty, racism, violence and an inspiring sense of determination and perseverance from people who outwardly have very little hope of improving their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Bertrand Tavernier directed this hard-hitting anti-war drama. In November of 1918, just as World War I had come to a close, Capt. Conan (Phillippe Torreton) and his men await new assignments in Bucharest. Conan regards himself as a warrior, not a soldier: while a soldier will fight in a war, it takes a warrior -- unafraid to take risks, confront death, and spill blood -- to win one. Conan is convinced that it was the bloodthirsty valor of himself and those under his command that won the war against Germany. However, while Conan's dark nature was a boon to the Army during the war, it's a distinct disadvantage in peacetime, as Conan and his friends Norbert (Samuel LeBihan) and De Sceve (Bernard LeCoq) are instructed to patrol the now peaceful border. Conan and his compatriots have become too acclimated to battle to leave it behind and begin staging raids in the mountains of the Balkans. The situation comes to a head when two women are killed in a combination robbery and attack on a nightclub; Conan and his men are to be court martialed for their actions, driving a wedge between him and his close friend Norbert, who respects Conan but lacks his reckless enthusiasm for battle. Capitaine Conan earned Cesar awards for Torreton's performance and Tavernier's direction. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A brave and resourceful young woman keeps the spirit of the Three Musketeers alive in this historical adventure. Eloise (Sophie Marceau) is the daughter of the famed swordsman D'Artagnan (Philippe Noiret); while she has a remarkable gift with a blade herself, Eloise is devoting herself to her studies at a convent. However, when a slave escapes from the estate of the evil Duke of Crassac (Claude Rich) and seeks refuge in the convent, the Mother Superior (Pascale Roberts) is murdered in retaliation by the Duke's soldiers. In the midst of the attack, Eloise learns that the Duke and his men have even more dastardly plans in store; the murder of the Mother Superior is part on an ongoing scheme to throw the nation into disarray, making it easier for the Duke to overthrow the King and seize power. Joined by Quentin (Nils Tavernier), a poet, Eloise sets out to call her father and his old compatriots to action to stop the Duke; however, D'Artagan, who now lives a quiet life teaching fencing, isn't so sure he wants to wage a battle against the insurgent forces, no matter how awful they may be. La Fille de d'Artagnan (The Daughter of d'Artagnan) was released in the United States as Revenge of the Musketeers; leading lady Sophie Marceau does her own fencing on screen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A private eye finds that her professional and personal lives are beginning to intertwine in this French drama. Maxime Chabrier (Anémone) is a woman in her mid-40s who works as a private detective. Despite her chain smoking and sloppy appearance, Maxime is regarded as a skilled investigator by her colleagues and considered the best PI at her agency by her boss. While Maxime has romantic dalliances with both men and women, she hasn't been involved in a long-term relationship since she left her husband 15 years ago. However, Maxime is hired to look into a case that suggests that her former husband has become involved with insurance fraud, which brings her into contact with her 17-year-old son Baptiste (Gregoire Colin) for the first time since the divorce. Just as Maxime is trying to mend fences with her son and find out what her ex has gotten himself into, she finds herself falling in love with Jacques (Michel Didym), an economist. Pas Tres Catholique was nominated for the prestigious Golden Bear award at the 1994 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide